When a Captain Meets a Ginger
by Hannah Tennant-Cumberbatch
Summary: They were both complete strangers, looking over the pier and into the sea. They'd never met before. But there was something, just something, that made Amy Pond and Captain Jack Harkness trust each other. Oneshot.


**A/N: Another oneshot by me, but with no Doctor in sight. I really hope you enjoy this, the pairing is very new to me! Reviews would be lovely, by the way. I might even write a sequel is this goes down well.**

**Dedicated to the amazing riversong42 who gave me the idea for this fic!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who.**

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**When a Captain Meets a Ginger**

"_Find someone, Captain Jack Harkness. Because you deserve it."_

The air was cool and bitter, coming straight from the deep-grey sea which ran for miles underneath the pier. Amy Pond pulled her left arm tighter around herself in hope to bite off the cold, although she kind of felt like she was asking for it. Who wears a mini skirt and thin leather jacket for Cardiff, in the _winter? _

Well, to be fair, the Doctor had never mentioned that he was taking a pit-stop in Cardiff, or the fact that it was minus a billion outside. He just waved off both her and Rory's questions frivolously, muttering about how 'it should only take a minute' and there was 'no need to leave the TARDIS in anyway'. That plan, of course, went down the pan a matter of seconds after they arrived. A shower of sparks erupted from underneath the console (which, apparently, was her fault for touching the wibbly lever- they all looked the same, how was she supposed to know?) and he started complaining, saying that they couldn't leave until they got the circuits rebounded. Well, he said a lot more than that, but Amy wasn't really listening.

So, that's how Amy Pond ended up in Cardiff, on a bloody freezing bridge. Rory was still in the TARDIS, holding the couplings while the Doctor tinkered about with his sonic screwdriver; and Amy couldn't think of anything else to do. The Doctor was still angry about her messing with the wibbly lever ("The red lever is the wibbly lever, Amelia! Don't _ever _touch the red lever!") so she just got out of his way. She didn't appreciate the fact that he was treating her like she was seven years old, but what could you do? If you hurt the TARDIS, even by accident, you hurt the Doctor.

He would get over it in a matter of minutes. At least, she hoped he would. She didn't fancy being stuck in Cardiff.

It was alright, though, just for now. It was nice to be somewhere that was normal, no fear of being killed by Daleks or Weeping Angels or something else as equally scary or murderous. Just Earth. The wind, the sea, the bridge, the concrete, the 21st century. The cars, the people, the buildings, the homes, the shops. After seeing what was out there; the ancient civilisations and the futuristic spaceships, you kind of forgot all this existed. While she was travelling the universe, people were just getting on with their normal lives. TV, newspapers, microwave dinners. There was no concept of them on the TARDIS.

And, sometimes, she missed that. She missed the realism of it all. So moments like these were cherished by Amy Pond.

Her thinking was interrupted by a man who had decided to join her on the pier. She hadn't seen him arrive or where he came from, she was too busy with her own thoughts to notice something like that.

The man leaned on the railings right beside her, the grey overcoat he was wearing billowing in the heavy breeze. Why did all the men she met where funny coats? The Doctor in his tweed, Rory in his body warmers and now this. But this coat, it was good. It suited this man.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" the man remarked, his heavy American accent defining his voice. "The way the water just rushes beneath you."

Amy glanced back down at the grey murky water. She shrugged her shoulders. "I've seen prettier."

"What?" the man grinned, outlining his sharp cheekbones. "Like me?"

Amy shook her head and narrowed her eyes at the man. He was incredibly gorgeous from what she could see and she did love a bit of flirting; but, of course, Amy Pond had a degree in flirting. "You wish."

"Oh, you're a cheeky one." the man laughed, "I do love a cheeky girl."

Amy laughed along with him, pushing her hair behind her ears where the wind had whipped it up. She barely knew this man –they'd only been talking for about two minutes- and there was something, already, that she trusted about him. It kind of scared her; after travelling with the Doctor for so long, you learn to trust nobody. Some people aren't who they say they are. But this man… It was like they were similar. It was like they had something in common, but she couldn't quite lay her finger on it.

"The names Jack Harkness, by the way." he said, turning to face Amy. "_Captain _Jack Harkness."

"Ooh. Swanky." Amy chuckled. "A Captain."

"Yeah. And don't you forget it." he waved a finger in her direction, "Now _you _have to tell me your name, Miss Ginger."

Amy didn't appreciate being called Ginger, but with him- it sort of worked. "Why would I do that? How do I know you're not a crazy axe murderer who wants to kidnap me or something?"

"Oh," he let out a hearty laugh, "Trust me, if I was a crazy axe murderer, I would've killed you by now."

Amy raised her eyebrows. This man was unbelievable. "Reassuring. I'm Amy Pond."

"What a fantastic name," the Captain observed, reaching out for Amy's hand. For some reason, beyond her knowledge, she let him take it. He pressed a light kiss on the skin, and Amy felt a series of sparks jitter up her spine. "The pleasures all mine, Amy Pond."

Amy looked back at the sea so Jack couldn't see the pink which had taken over her cheeks.

"So, Amy…" he held onto the word for a long time, his tongue pronouncing each letter. "What brings you to Cardiff? Because, if I'm hearing correctly, that's a Scottish accent."

Amy snorted. "You can talk, Mr American."

The man laughed again, like music to her ears. "I'm from a lot further than America. But don't let anyone know that I told you that."

Amy was a little confused by that, but she nodded anyway. "I'm sort of… Travelling."

"Travelling?" Jack raised an eyebrow. "Sounds interesting."

"It is, believe me. I've seen so many things, Jack… It's really incredible. Beyond incredible." she smiled a little, the wind making her eyes water. "And scary, too."

"I bet it is." Jack smiled back at her. "I used to travel, too. A long time ago."

"But, despite how scary it is, I don't think I'll ever stop," she pulled some more hair back, "I don't think I could."

"That's what I thought too," Jack sighed, his eyes glazed over with nostalgia, "But you can't keep wandering forever. Well, unless… But you have to stop one day. You have to get back to reality. You know, duty calls."

"I know," Amy stated sadly, "I know."

There was a silence between the two of them, just for a few moments. But it was a nice break, filled with the sound of seagulls cooing and the waves colliding.

"So, are you on your own?" Jack queried, shrugging.

"No! God, no. Travelling's no fun on your own." Amy said, "I'm with… A friend. And…" she pulled a face, "My husband."

Jack clicked his tongue. "Nice ring."

Amy bit her lip and toyed with the gold band round her finger. "Thanks."

"No problem," Jack replied, "But what I don't understand is… Why have they left such a pretty girl like you out on the pier, on her own?"

Amy swatted him on the arm, making him laugh. "They're busy. Doing boy things. Messing on with the motor. My friend's the designated driver, you see, and if he doesn't get it fixed up we can't leave." Amy scowled, "But I'm beginning to wonder why I didn't just stay. Then I wouldn't have met you, Captain Harkness."

The Captain feigned an expression of hurt, which couldn't help but make Amy splutter with laughter. "Oh, you don't mean that, Miss Pond."

Amy fluttered her eyelashes. "Don't I now?"

"Nobody can resist a bit of a Captain Jack," Jack winked, "Including you."

"Captain Jack _Sparrow, _maybe, but definitley not a Captain Jack _Harkness," _Amy teased, "I love a pirate."

"Well, that's rotten luck, because I just so happen to be an ex-pirate." Jack responded.

Amy raised her eyebrows with disbelief. "You're kidding me."

Jack pointed to his face, which was a picture of innocence. "Well, an ex-conman, but that's the same as a pirate, right? All in the past, now, though. My traveller friend set me straight."

Amy shook her head, not quite believing this. Captain Jack was an impossible man. Much like the Doctor, really. "So what do you do now then, Captain Jack? Now you're not conning people."

Jack pointed to the other end of the pier, at nowhere in particular, but she didn't complain. "I work in the tourist information place. Yeah, I know, irony of ironies, considering I'm not even native."

Amy smirked to herself. He stood out from the crowd and he didn't care. Much like the Doctor. "From conman to tour guide?"

"What can I say?" Jack shrugged, "I'm a people person. I dabble."

"Yeah," Amy remarked quietly, "I used to dabble, too. Seems like a lifetime ago now."

"Time goes by so fast and then, before you know it," he clicked his fingers, "It's gone."

Amy giggled. "Tell me about it." she paused, mulling over her words, before she went onto her next question. "Is there a Mrs Harkness?"

That's when Jack went quiet, and Amy regretted asking the question. "Oh… I'm sorry, you don't-"

"It's fine," he reassured her, but it obviously wasn't. "There was someone, a while ago. But he's gone now."

_He? _Jack Harkness did a lot more than just dabble his vocation. Not that that mattered.

"You never know," Amy quipped, "He might come back."

There was a silence. This time, it was more desolate. Thick with unsaid words.

Jack shook his head firmly. "No, he can't. I can't…"

"I thought my husband was gone." Amy interjected understandingly, "But he wasn't. He came back. I know how it feels, Jack, to love someone so much then feel them slip through your fingers."

She moved her hand across the railings until it covered his, and she squeezed it tightly. "But sometimes, miracles happen."

Jack treasured her comfort and valued her words, but he insisted on shaking his head. "Not this time."

Amy's mouth opened and she was ready to speak, when she heard a shout from the other end of the pier. A man, in a checky shirt and denim jeans, was waving in their direction, shouting her name. It was Rory.

Amy retracted her hand off his. "That's my husband. We must be ready to go."

Jack moved his gaze over to the sea again. "You better go to him. He's probably wondering what you're doing with a strange man."

"You're not strange, Captain Jack Harkness," Amy whispered, looking straight at him, "Don't you think that."

Jack chuckled, "You have no idea."

He pulled the redhead into a tight hug, and even though she knew Rory was watching, she didn't let go. She didn't want to let go. She didn't think she could.

"Thank you, Amy Pond," Jack murmured in her ear, "And I'm telling you, if you're hearts ever broken, if you feel like the whole world is wrong, come find me. Because I'll wait for you."

She withdrew from the hug, grinning, although tears were glimmering in the corners of her eyes. Another man willing to wait for her.

She pressed a kiss on his cheek. "Find someone, Captain Jack Harkness. Because you deserve it."

He gave her a mock salute. "Goodbye, Amy Pond."

She stuffed her hands in her pockets and nodded. "Goodbye, Captain Jack Harkness."

She turned her back on him and she ran all the way back down the pier, not daring to look back. Because if she did, she'd break.

Those few minutes spent in the company of Captain Jack Harkness were the most precious moments of Amy Pond's existence. Trusting a complete stranger. There was nothing Amy Pond could hate about that.

"Who was that?" Rory asked, brow furrowed, when Amy reached him.

"Just… A friend." Amy replied.

She turned around, and all she could see was the pier.

Jack was gone.

Amy Pond grinned. "A very good friend."


End file.
